Free Care Compendium
Millions of Americans can only access health care services with financial assistance from their medical providers, commonly known as “free care” or “charity care.” This critical safety net ensures the health of our communities and protects people from crushing medical debt. However, the amount and type of free care available to people – if any – depends heavily on where they live. Community Catalyst’s Free Care Compendium summarizes the free care laws and regulations in each of the fifty states. The Compendium also includes national snapshot of regulatory and legislative trends across the states.
The wide variety of laws and regulations demonstrates the need for consistent, fair and transparent free care policies. To view Community Catalyst’s recommendations for free care standards and read a more detailed overview of free care policy, see the Overview.